Modern computer devices, for example, a system on a chip used as an electronic control unit in a vehicle, often perform a plurality of tasks, wherein a first task is related to critical user data and a second task is related to non-critical user data. Critical user data may be, for example, user data which impacts the operational safety of the computer device if unintended modifications of the user data occur. Non-critical user data may be, for example, user data which does not impact the operational safety of the computer device if unintended modifications of the user data occur. An example of non-critical user data may be a background image on a display of the computer device.
In order to protect the critical user data from unintended modifications, it is known to use ECC (Error Correction Code) protected memory. Additional ECC data of the ECC protected memory allows identifying and correcting errors. The non-critical user data can be stored in a conventional memory without ECC protection.
Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 7,117,421 describes the emulation of ECC protection with a conventional memory, wherein the stored user data is partly or completely protected by additional ECC data.
Riccardo Mariani, Gabriele Boschi, “Scrubbing and Partitioning for Protection of Memory Systems”, iolts, pp. 195-196, 11th IEEE International On-Line Testing Symposium, 2005, proposes to use a memory controller that allows for a configurable partitioning of the addressed memory in a protected and unprotected area.